Consumers have long desired hand, body and face lotions or creams which, when applied to the skin, improve the condition of the skin while simultaneously providing a pleasant tactile experience. In response to this, numerous cosmetic compositions have been formulated through the years to exhibit satisfactory spreading, feel, lubricity, and absorption upon application to the skin. More recently, consumers have been introduced to specialty lotions and creams formulated to treat dry skin conditions, known as “dry skin formulations”.
A dry skin formulation described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,389,418 uses petrolatum or mineral oil as an occlusive emollient agent, and glycerin as a humectant. The occlusive emollient agent physically prevents or reduces moisture loss from the skin by formation of a water-impenetrable barrier over the stratum corneum and the humectant chemically attracts and holds water to the outside surface and upper layers of the stratum corneum, thereby increasing the overall water content in the skin itself. Other formulations currently on the market use increased amounts of glycerin to enhance the skin hydration properties.
While the above solutions may be effective in improving hydration of skin, they do not provide a good sensory feel upon application to skin—typically resulting in a sticky and tacky feel. Thus, there is a need to develop a composition that delivers an in vivo and consumer perceptible hydration benefit while not compromising the sensory feel of the composition during application.